Law Enforcement Day Leadership Bakersfield

The Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) hosted this year’s Law Enforcement Day for the Leadership Bakersfield program on Friday, June 8. The class started the day with Lieutenant Ryan Kroeker and Capt. Bobby Woolard at the BPD Training Facility, enjoying a delicious breakfast provided by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.

During their time at the training facility, the class received a brief tour of the BPD Training Academy’ s premises and learned about its utilization. They also had a Q&A session with BPD Capt. Jeremy Blakemore, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and local Criminal Defense Litigator Jared Thompson, discussing the challenges in law enforcement and the functioning of the criminal justice system.

Community engagement is integral to the BPD’s operations and they were grateful for the opportunity to meet and engage with the students in this year’s class. The Leadership Bakersfield class interacted with officers and BPD staff, exploring various topics related to law enforcement, the criminal justice system and visiting different facilities and venues.

Next, the class visited the Bakersfield Police Activities League (BPAL), touring the facility that offers officers opportunities to build connections with youth through diverse programs and events. Following the tour, the class engaged in reallife scenarios with BPD officers acting as they experienced what it's like to be an officer.

The class then witnessed demonstrations by various specialized units within the BPD, including the SWAT team, Bomb Squad, K9 team and Unmanned Ariel Vehicle team. They also participated in a Use of

Force simulator overseen by active BPD Training Staff. The day concluded at the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, where the class learned about and obtained information regarding the Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit.

Special thanks are extended to the Bakersfield Police Officers Association for being a day sponsor and to Golden Empire Transit for providing transportation throughout the day.

Thank you to our Day Sponsor

Thank you to our Program Underwriter